Can you get a DUI while operating a boat or raft? Depending on how you understand the DUI laws as applied to cars and trucks, the answer might just surprise you to an extraordinary degree. When it comes to something like operating a boat or raft, you definitely want to understand how the DUI laws might impact you.

Can I Get A DUI On a Boat or Raft in California?

To begin with, understand that the DUI laws are not limited solely to cars and trucks. This is a great misconception about DUI laws and boats or rafts that can get you in serious trouble. According to Santa Cruz DUI Defense Attorney, as far as the state of California is concerned, the DUI laws for cars, trucks, and motorcycles can also be applied to boats and other aquatic vehicles.

Obviously, the DUI laws as they apply to boats and rafts are going to change the language a little bit. If you are operating something like a motorboat in the state of California, and you receive a charge of operating under the influence, you will likely be charged with what is known as a BUI. This would also be referred to as boating under the influence.

To reiterate: Yes, operating a motorboat under the influence can net serious consequences in California. However, as you can no doubt imagine, there is a good deal more to this subject that you need to keep in mind.

Are BUI Laws in California Heavily Enforced

Remember that California BUI laws are not the laws of the whole United States. The BUI laws can vary from one state to the next, although most states operate within similar standards. At the same time, you will note that some states are stricter than others.

For example, in South Carolina, tubes and rafts are not regarded in the same category of vehicles as boats. In other words, BUI laws do not apply to tubes and rafts in South Carolina, and you are free to drink alcohol while operating them. Waterskies, surfboards, and windsurfing boards are all examples of boards that would qualify as a tube or raft.

But that’s South Carolina. As we mentioned before, it is important to remember that the rules for California are their own entity. Waterways in popular California destinations are regularly patrolled by the local sheriffs and other law enforcement elements/departments. In other words, it is not going to be a good idea to take any changes against drinking, operating a vehicle, and escaping from the law. Law enforcement is out in abundance looking for those who are driving a boat impaired.

For specific wording on the BUI laws that you will want to be aware of in California, you will want to turn to the Harbor and Navigation Code 655. You will find five provisions within that passage that will make the laws regarding boating under the influence in California very clear to you.

Furthermore, keep in mind that there are over one hundred and fifty law enforcement agencies in the state that are currently enforcing the boating laws of the state of California.

In Conclusion

Even moderate drinking can substantially limit your ability to operate a motorboat properly. As you consider this fact, keep in mind a few more tidbits on BUI laws in California, BUI consequences in California, and much more:

• Studies indicate that alcohol contributes to roughly twenty-five percent of all motorboat-related fatalities.
• Remember that alcohol does not follow traditional digestive patterns. To put in more direct terms, understand that the total number of drinks you consume is how long it is going to take you to return to legal sobriety.
• You can impair your ability to operate a motorboat at .035%.
• One drink is defined as 12 oz. beer=4 oz. wine=1 1/4 oz. eighty-proof liquor.
• More than eighty percent of those who die in alcohol-related motorboat accidents are people who fell over and drowned.
• Operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol can carry stiff punishments. You can find yourself facing a year in county jail, a fine of no more than one thousand dollars, or even both of these things.

If you are just beginning to learn about windsurfing, then you are in for one wild ride. As you are going to discover, windsurfing is a sport with straightforward basics, tons of additional considerations for more intermediate riders, and a rich history.

Windsurfing is a form of sailing. In fact, it is one of the purest forms of sailing that you are ever going to come across. Beyond this fact, there are several things about windsurfing basics, windsurfing history, and windsurfing advantages that you are going to want to understand.

What Is Windsurfing?

Also known as sailboarding, windsurfing is one of the most popular water sports in the world. You are essentially going to find yourself using a board that will be powered by the force of the wind. As mentioned before, you could make a strong case that windsurfing is the purest form of sailing to be found anywhere. The natural force of the wind is going to be working to compel the board. However, this is not going to be possible without a conduit.

That’s where you come in.

Your body is going to act as the conduit, which is going to move the board to the direction of the wind. It is a marvelous marriage of humanity and nature. It is also quite different from surfing, in the sense that surfing utilizes the wave as its power source. With windsurfing, the possibilities are considerably greater. This is because you are going to have the opportunity to windsurf at any place in which you can find a body of water and some wind. In other words, you can take advantage of windsurfing at a lake, a river gorge, an estuary, or even along some pretty heavy surf.

At any given moment, you are going to be enjoying one of the most immersive experiences you could ever hope to imagine. At the same time, you are going to find yourself locked into something that will demand your attention in a very profound way. Think of windsurfing as a dance.

One of the nice things about windsurfing is that it’s remarkably straightforward. Furthermore, given the technology, variety, and pleasure that the sport has currently achieved, you are coming into a really great point in time.

A Short History of Windsurfing

As a sport and recreational endeavor, windsurfing did not emerge into the public consciousness until the latter portion of the 20th century. Not surprisingly, before the activity become an international sensation, you could find examples of windsurfing throughout history and various cultures. For example, the Polynesians have been riding the waves for centuries. The design for the device that allowed them to do so utilized a solid board with a vertical sail.

Newman Darby initially came up with the concept of combining handmade sails and rigs with universal joints in 1948. Although Darby did not file a patent for the sailboard, he is seen by many as the inventor. Furthermore, Darby is also credited as being the first to imagine, design, and then build a sailboard that utilized a universal joint. By 1964, Darby was selling his sailboards.

There are other figures who play major roles in the story of the sailboard. Peter Chilvers is often seen as being an inventor of the sailboard in 1958. Jim Drake is a man often credited with eliminating many of the problems that kept the sailboard from functioning as it was meant to. Hoyle Schweitzer is considered to be the first one to successfully market the sailboard.

The first patent was filed in 1968 by Hoyle Schweitzer and Jim Drake. However, not surprisingly, there have been a number of patent disputes over the years. Nonetheless, the sport as it stands today is remarkable.

Benefits and Basics Of Windsurfing

There are several different types of boards that you are going to want to consider. You have freerides, Formula Windsurfing Class boards, wave boards, freestyle boards, speed boards, beginner boards, tandem boards, and so many more. There are so many different types of boards because there are ultimately several different skillsets. This sport is extraordinarily easy to pick up, beginning with how easy it will be to find a board that suits your interest and experience level. Furthermore, it is an affordable way to get amazing exercise